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In my homily on Pentecost, I spoke about
charisms – specific gifts of the Holy Spirit which are given to each individual for the building-up of the Kingdom. Since that homily, many people have asked for more information about charisms – what is a charism? What types of charisms are there? How do I know if I have a charism? Let’s dive deeper into these questions!
First, a charism is not just a talent. Talents can be used for good or evil – charisms can only be used for good. Talents can be inherited from one’s family (a musical parent is more likely to produce musical offspring), but charisms are given to each individual. Multiple people in a family can have the same charism, but charisms aren’t “passed down” – they are uniquely given by God at Baptism and Confirmation. Charisms only exist in people who are disciples – that is, people who have made the personal choice to follow Jesus. Note that this is different from being baptized or confirmed – there are many “baptized pagans” walking around out there who have received all their Sacraments but don’t believe any of it, or who do not have a living personal relationship with Jesus. The whole purpose of charisms is to bring souls to Jesus in ways that we, in our natural human abilities, are incapable of doing. Therefore, charisms are not for our benefit but ultimately for others’ benefit. At the same time, you will find a sense of deep fulfillment and joy in living out your charisms.
What are some possible charisms? Here’s a great summation of the different types of charisms:
http://www.standrebessette.org/discovering-your-charisms.html
As you can see, some charisms seem mundane (Hospitality, or Administration) while some seem truly extraordinary (Prophesy, Healing). Some charisms can be given temporarily (such as the charism of prophesy, when a person feels that God has put a word on their heart for another person – that could be a one-time-only charism) while some have a more permanent character (celibacy, for example).
I can think of many examples of people who lived out their charism. For example, Bl. Stanley Rother was an American priest who failed out of two seminaries because he couldn’t learn Latin. Finally accepted into a third seminary, he was ordained and became a missionary to Guatamala, where he not only learned Spanish but also Tz'utujil, the native language. He became so adept at the foreign tongue that he translated the New Testament into Tz’utujil. He clearly was graced with the charism of Tongues because he couldn’t have gone from Latin-flunkee to Tz’utujil expert on his own!
Or I recently received an email from two parishioners who feel called by God to give 20% of their income to the Lord through tithing – this is truly the charism of Generosity at work! Or a friend of mine who has felt God calling him to build altars for churches, which are carved exquisitely and intricately out of wood – he has the charism of Craftsmanship, as he leads others into worship!
Serious disciples will have multiple charisms – usually people have between 2 and 5 charisms. How do you know what YOURS are? There are a couple ways to find out. First, has God put on your heart a specific desire to serve? Perhaps it is to teach religious education or to serve the poor; maybe it is to sing to the Lord or just a burning desire to share your faith with your coworkers. Pay attention to a desire or passion for service – this could be an indication of your charism. Then, try it out! If someone has a charism of Writing, but never shares anything they have written, then they’ll never know if their charism is genuine! As you try it out, pay attention to three things. First, does it bring you joy? Second, do you see lives and souls being changed through your work? Finally, do other people recognize those charisms in you – have you received positive feedback regarding how your gift has been used? This can be a sign that God is working in and through you.
We can pray for a specific charism. We can – and should – also pray for an increase of our charisms, so that they truly become all about glorifying God and not for our own glory. But do not neglect your charisms – God expects us to be fruitful in using our gifts for the building up of His Kingdom! It is amazing how He allows us to participate in His awesome work of saving souls, by giving us a share in these charisms!
A wonderful Catholic writer, Sherry Weddell, has written a book about charisms: “Fruitful Discipleship” (well-worth the read, as well as her original book, “Forming Intentional Disciples”). For more information about charisms, I would highly recommend reading her books!
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